MEPs debate and adopt their position for negotiations with EU governments on new rules to reduce, reuse and recycle packaging in the EU. The report by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety includes proposals to make packaging easier to reuse and recycle, to reduce unnecessary packaging and waste, and to encourage the use of recycled content. MEPs want to ban the sale of very light weight plastic carrier bags, unless required for hygiene reasons, and the use of intentionally added so called “forever chemicals” and Bisphenol A in food contact packaging. Opening statements by Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), ITRE Committee, Virginie JORON (ID,FR), IMCO Committee, and Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, EC for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

TOIA, Patrizia (S&D, IT)

shipments of waste (T)

plastic waste (T)

TORVALDS, Nils (Renew, FI)

reduction of the environmental impact of plastics (T)

SINKEVIČIUS, Rimantas (LT)

JORON, Virginie (ID, FR)

DE MEO, Salvatore (EPP, IT)

Delivery EE2024 (T)

Packaging and packaging waste: opening statements by Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), ITRE Committee, Virginie JORON (ID,FR), IMCO Committee, and Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, EC for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Madam President, due to some personal challenges, Madame Ries cannot be here today. So, I have the honour of representing her part of it. The regulation of Packaging and Package waste has undoubtedly been one of the most hotly debated pieces in legislation in Brussels in recent months. But in terms of profound paradigm shifts, it proposes under intensity of lobbying on the interest and by the interest of stakeholders.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, The legislation is essential for the competitiveness of the European package sector. Stakes are high because package is a tool for components of products, making them suitable for the transport and safe use is also an increasingly important source of waste.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, 'With the report adopted in ENVI by a large majority, the Rapporteur Frédérique RIES who I represent today, has succeeded in aligning environmental ambitions with industrial reality. It establishes a clear line in favour of innovation, allowing a five year derogation for innovative packaging and providing a horizontal exemption for almost the entire text for micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, In addition, as one of the Rapporteurs main priorities, the Rapporteur has added health dimensions to the environment aspects of the dossier with the addition of a ban of businesses to chemicals, forever pollutants and bisphenol A in food packaging. Finally, it also strengthens the prevention aspect of the text by setting a precise target for the reduction of plastic packaging and by banning ultralight plastic bags.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Although the report adopted by ENVI confirms a pragmatic vision towards circular economy, the Rapporteur is well aware that there are still differences between the positions adopted in the different committees of this House. With the amendments tabled by my group, the Rapporteur wanted to take a further step towards a common, balanced position on the most controversial aspects of the text.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, 'First, on the reuse aspect, Article 26, in addition to the removal targets for the takeaway sector already adopted by the ENVI Committee, the Rapporteur proposes that economic operators with a packaging recycling rate of over 84-85% to be exempted from the re-use obligation striking a balance between increasing targets and simply eliminating them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Secondly, with regards to the restrictions of certain packaging formats for the fruit or vegetables, that's Annexe five, line 2, the Rapporteur wishes to respond to AGRI's concerns by extending the scope of the packaging format still authorised to single use plastic free composite packaging, so that producers can continue to have a wider choice of alternatives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Lastly, with regard to packaging restrictions for the correct sector, that's Annexe five line three, the text adopted in ENVI is already available balance, a complete derogation for micro enterprises, a three year deferral for applications of the measures on flexibility granted to the Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, However, in a spirit of compromise, the Rapporteur wanted to add wrappers that they would be exempted from the ban as it would be difficult to replace them with other alternatives. This set of amendments is for the Rapporteur, the middle ground that only reconciles positions between groups lending a robust text at the beginning of interinstitutional negotiations.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, 'On her behalf, I would like to thank all the colleagues for the cooperation we have had so far, and I am looking forward to represent this House in the further negotiations with the co-legislators. So, thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Nils TORVALDS (Renew, FI), Rapporteur, Then I changed my hat. Just add then that one of the real problem was lifecycle analysis. That can be done in many different ways, even small changes, how many wash cycles, how much water, how much energy. Each of these changes, the actual situation and changes the result of the life cycle analysis. So, life cycle in the form that we got it from the Commission gave us problems that we couldn't get over, but we'll try to deal with that in future. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), on behalf of ITRE Committee, Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Commissioner. It's a great honour for me to represent the Commission, which has worked very hard on this mission. It's an even greater honour for me to be Rapporteur for a Committee which has had shared powers on a series of very important provisions. We think that overall this is positive.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), on behalf of ITRE Committee, We very much share the objective of this regulation, which is to reduce packaging waste and packaging. And most of the measures included included in it. We have tried to bring some changes in with a report voted on by a very large majority in ITRE. So as to ensure that we can conciliate the ambitious objectives set out by the Commission with reality.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), on behalf of ITRE Committee, The opinions and observations, regarding the very many extremely good things in the report. So as not to penalise the excellent work which has been done in recent years to improve the quality of packaging, to ensure that packaging the market increase in sustainable, to invest in recycling industries, innovative research.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), on behalf of ITRE Committee, I think it would have been unacceptable for the rest of the world if we hadn't followed up on that. This is so it's important that we adopt the opinions of ITRE Committee. The problem is, however, that the lead Committee simply disregarded all our positions.

SOUNDBITE (French), Virginie JORON (ID, FR), on behalf of IMCO Committee, Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, Now, on the one hand, we want to bring things from New Zealand, and on the other hand, we want to reduce packaging. So, we're going to put a ban on all sorts of boxes and wrappings. But if I was a bureaucrat in Brussels, I'd also make sure that, you know, we did. We reduced even more by making bringing even more absurd rules. If I was a bureaucrat, I wouldn't have steaks anymore. We could eat insects instead.

SOUNDBITE (French), Virginie JORON (ID, FR), on behalf of IMCO Committee, I'd also put a ban on macaws and locusts flying and also put a ban on Twitter and have general surveillance in place. And I would get rid of words like Mr.. Mrs.. And so on. He, she. This is how you know, Camembert packaging is going to be banned because somebody went to Bali and saw some rubbish on the beach.

SOUNDBITE (French), Virginie JORON (ID, FR), on behalf of IMCO Committee, Of course, recycling is good and plastic is useless. But we already have a law in France, so why don't we just let the French live freely in France and allow the Europeans to live freely in Europe? Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Honourable Members, Thank you for this opportunity to address you today ahead of a vote that is crucial for our environment, our single market, our industries, and our citizens. And let me start by thanking, first of all, the rapporteur, Ms. Ries, all shadow rapporteurs, the rapporteurs of the three opinion giving Committees and the many of you who I also met over the last months.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Half on the table is a set of ambitious rules to take packaging onboard our transition to climate neutrality and clean circular economy. If we are to reverse the ever growing amounts of waste and increase resource efficiency in the packaging sector, then we have to be ready for a change.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, I am convinced that this will be a change for the better. Packaging is a key sector where we can empower citizens to participate in the circular economy and help create new business opportunities. The measures we propose they will deliver a cost savings to consumers and benefits for the environment. Commission has worked very closely with all stakeholders, all actors will listen to the full range of issues, concerns that have emerged.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, 'Some of you call for additional flexibility, in particular on re-use targets, mandatory deposit and return systems and waste prevention in general. However, harmonising Europe's packaging rules is a core objective of this initiative reducing red tape, compliance costs and market barriers, taking full advantage of the EU single market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, And I am convinced that we can achieve the desired high level of harmonisation only if we keep the bar of our ambition high. The latest data on packaging waste showed that we have broken a new sad record between 2010 and 2021, our packaging waste grew by more than 24%, faster than GDP and even faster than recycling capacities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, In 2021 alone, we saw the highest increase indicate by 6% compared to 2020. So, this surge in packaging waste is a clear sign of persisting wasteful trends in resource use. Driven by single use in the EU, we now generate almost 190 kilograms of packaging waste per person every year. So, our proposal aims for efficiency gains in the recycling sector. The absolute volume of packaging waste for recycling will surely need to increase, but the clearly trends are showing and please note that recycling is not enough.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Losses are inevitable at every stage of recycling change and primary materials are constantly needed to complement what comes from the recycling waste. So, we must do more to reduce the generation of packaging waste, more to replace single use packaging with sustainable solutions and help to roll out, reuse or refill systems.

SOUNDBITE (English), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Lastly, your colleagues. Let me recall our industries are united in their call for this regulation to come into force supporting our single market. Our citizens expect decision from all of us and they all say the earlier the better, and the Commission agrees. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Salvatore DE MEO (EPP, IT), on behalf of AGRI Committee, Thank you, President. Commissioner. Tomorrow's vote on the packaging regulation is likely to undermine the credibility of the European Union. Everybody in Europe wants this to be more sustainable, less packaging, other words, but we can't forget that this same Europe has for many years now promoted and supported research on recycling.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Salvatore DE MEO (EPP, IT), on behalf of AGRI Committee, It has also encouraged and trained citizens to sort their waste. We are now proposing the opposite without actually thinking about the enormous results which have achieved in terms of recycling what is likely now to become a parallel street which undermines our credibility in the social, economic and ecological way.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Salvatore DE MEO (EPP, IT), on behalf of AGRI Committee, So, let's think about the food industry. We need to be able to eat fresh, tasty and safe food without waste. If we are to do that, we can't run the risk of destroying whole industrial sectors which have an enormous impact on consumers. I would appeal to everybody on this. We have to ensure that we come back to common sense, so as to ensure that our political choices and environmental choices be coherent and above all, in the interest of our citizens. Thank you.